Rocket projector



Nov. 30; 1948. I D. F. STEVENS 2,455,101

ROCKET PROJECTOR Filed Sept. is, 1946 Inveulor Doqgfaa f? Jfeuerrd Patented s ao, 1e4s UNI-TED STATES PATENT OFFICE shearer, j Y a 2 Claims. (01. 42-1) a This invention relates to rocket projectors and it has for its generai'object to provide a projector of simplified shape and construction which is easily-operated, will work reliably and will pro- 1 with-a central-bore I. psi-nor which constitutes the ignition chamber] or the projector while another part 8a houses the firing mechanism 8. At the end or the projector ,a threaded bore 9 01' vide a greater safety against back blasts during. firing than theprojectors hitherto known.

The invention in accordance with the above larger diameter isarranged which receives the breech plug 10-, closing the tube at this end. The threaded bore 9 is or a diameter whichis larger explained object comprises a projector tube prothan the central portion'oi the bore in order vided with a plurality of communicating central that the firing mechanism 8 may be withdrawn cylindrical bores, one of which is larger than the 10 through this bore without difllculty.

other boresand forms the ignition chamber. The The breech plug is provided at one end with a.

portion of the projector tube surrounding" said flange M which is screwed down on the end of the chamber is reinforced by reinforcing guard por-. projector tube, limits the inward movement and tions and transverse channe lead directly and improves a tight seal. The end of the plug carin the shortest way from sai ignition-chamber ries a ring l2 projecting outwardly to which a to the"o'utside. These channels discharge and I tab II is attached. By means of the tab ii the permit the eihausting or the propelling gases durblue can be easily screwed down into the tube or i firing and prevent b blasts directed tounscrewed from its seat so that it frees the openwards the operator. The b'ore behind the ignition ing. ,It is obvious that the tab hooked into the I chamber houses a firing mechanism which con- 0 ring is.merely shown by wayof exampleand that sists of a block' with a solidbottom provided with other means for screwing the breech plug down a plurality of intercommunic'ating central bores orior disengaging it may be used. of different diameters. The portion oi the Pro t its inner end t breech P s 5 Provided I :lector tube surrounding the aforesaid bore and with a n r nce or proj io i I wing-mechanism is provided'with a longitudinal whi h has prefera ly t shap f a l ndr channel: slightly inclined towards the axis ortlie-v p n with arounded or spherical end po ti n 5 tubeywhichgleads-to. the outside and houses the" In the bore on between thebreech plug it and -tri'ggerreleasemechanism. I 1 I the ignition chamber i the firing meehanism'B I The rearmost' bore portion is larger than the is housed. which consists of a cylindrical block other bores and is screw threaded. Itengages a I8 provided" with a number of cylindrical cavities; breech plugwhich mayberemovedg for loading ."Ihe largest cavity i! in the rear part of the purposes and which presses upon and holds the block houses a coiled compression spring it pressfiring mechanism and closes the projector tube, ing upon "a d skiil from which the cylindrical and The firing-mechanism includes acompression pointed firing pin 2! projects. .Thisfiringpin is spring, a firing pin and a locker pin, the latter as provided with a lateralv lock pin 22 projecting projecting outwardly so as to be able to engazc a through a slot 23 of the block which communitrigger release member. s o cates with the cavityil. r his construction permits great simplicity of The cavity il communicates by means of a shape and of operation. It also provides great cylindrical channel 25 of a diameter substantially Security as t p ojector is completely sealed and equal to the diameter or the firing'pin lat-with a. the rear h c blasts y cylindrical cap chainber 26 located in the forewhich are directed towards the perator. v most portion of the block. This chamber receives I The invention l be mo e i ly'understood the percussion cap or cartridge it b means of when described with reference to the accompanywhich the rocket is fired. I ing drawing illustrating oneembodiment 01 the The rear endof the block it is completely I invention. This embodiment is an example servclosed. The closing bottom portion as may he I ing explain the-princip1e on which the invenslightly recessed with respect to the end face and tion is based. Qther embodiments may be com I it is provided at its center with a rounded or structed'by theexperts by follo'wingi the rules laldr spherical groove 29 which receives the rounded down in this specification and are obviously not or sph rical head i511 oi the central protuberance departures rrom but part of the invention. or pin it of the breechplug It. I Y

5 In the a o p y g rawin -r The ignition chamber I which is of larger di-- Y Figural is an'elevational-side viewoi the rocket I ameter than the bore 8 receives the end of the P ojector. rocket and is provided. with lateral gas ports so Y Figure 2 is a plan view of the same. 65 through which the gases'may escape. These gas Figure 3 is a sectionalelevational view of the projector, the sectionbeing a longitudinal section along the line 3-3 or Figure'2; The rocket projector according to the invention consists of the projector tube 8 which is provided ports 30 lead to transverse channels at in com- I munication with the outer air. Guard pieces 32 may be arranged on each side of the projector which are traversed by said channels.

ports 30 form an outlet for the pro- The gas fired is then avoided.'

' member 22.

3 a peliing gases and discharge these gases on the side 01' the projector tube at a safe distance from the oper tor of the tube. The danger of a back blast tow rds the operator when the projector is The ignition chamber I is joined to the firing head 33 containing the bore 6.

Above the firing mechanism 8 the tube is provided with a further channel 85- arrangedlongitudinally but somewhat inclined'with respect to the tube axis which communicates with the section 8a of the central bore by means or an elongated opening 38 and which ends in-a slot 87 on the outside of the tube. channel houses the trigger release lever 88 which in the example shown is merely a two armed lever, with a. short trigger arm 40 and a long release arm 6|. Thelever is iulcrumed by means of a pin-M near the slot 31, and the trigger 60 projects through the slot outwardly and may be bent or curvedso a's to oifer a convenient thumb piece which is milled knurled or provided with small corrugations or teeth;

The release arm 4| projects into the interior of the bore 8a through the elongated opening 36, and rests on the lateral lock member 22 or the firing pin 2!. The channel "3.6 is sufiiciently wide to permit a certain angular novement of the release arm around its fulcrum. on account oi the position and length 0! the lever 4i a movement through a small angle is sufilcient to move the end of the lever fll out of engagement with lock Near the triggerarm G0 a safety lock 45 may be" provided. It consists in'a small slidable locking member, provided witha tongue 4.8 forcing the trigger 40 outwardly and the release lever II inwardly until it contacts the walls of thechannel and thereby prevents any movement of thetrigger. The safety lock member is slidably mounted in a slot 41 and may be removed 'so as. to be out of engagement by moving it away from the trigger within said slot.

The operation of the projector will be clear from the above description.

To load the projector, the tab II is seized and is twisted to remove the breech plug l0 and the firing mechanism block it. Then the .cap is inserted into the cap chamber. 21.and the rocket charge into the ignition chamber I.

Nowth'e block it withlthe firing mechanism 0 is replacedand the plug it is screwed in. When the block it is moved forwardly the compression spring I9 is compressed and the firing pin 21 is held by means'of the locker arm 22 and the release lever 4|. The safety,lock 45 is slid into locking position and the projector is now-loaded.

When the rocket is to be fired the sarety lock 45 is first removed by sliding it forwardly within 4 l forcing guards on said tube on ignition chamber and lateral, channels leading from the ignition chamber transversely and di-. rectly to the open air, a further bore djacent to the ignitionchamber, a firing mechan 'sm housed in said bore, said mechanism including a cylindrical block filling the aforesaid bore of the projector tube, and provided itseli'fwlth a plurality of cylindrical central bores of different diameter, and with a closing bottomv portion, one of saidbores of large diameter being the ignition cap bore, a firing pin and a compression spring (or moving the same housed within said .bores, means for holding said firing pin under the pressure of the compression-spring including a'locker arm on said firing pin and a trigger release arm for locking said 'arm and pin, and a breech plug inserted into the rearmost of the cores of the projector tubes and held therein, provided with a central-projection applied against the bottom of the firing block and holding said block in its place.

g 2. In a rocket projector, aprojector tube provided with a plurality of central bores, a firing head, reinforcement guards, said bores including a firing head bore, an ignition chamber. of larger diameter than the aforesaid bore, a firing mech-- said ignition chambers through said reinforcing guards directly to the outside, a substantially longitudinal channel inclined with respect to the axis of the tubeleading from the firing mechanism bore to the outside, a firing mechanism within the last-mentioned bore comprising a block with a closed bottom and a plurality of o'entral bores of different diameter, a slot in said block to the outside,- a compression spring housed in. said rearmost bore, a firing pin pressed forwardly by said compression spring, said firing pin being, guided in one of the bores of the block forming a guide bore, the foremost central bore in the firing mechanism block being an ignition cap bore for housing the saidcap, a locker, arm

projecting from I said firing pin through the aforesaid slot outwardly, a trigger release mechanism including a release arm housed in said longitudinal inclined slot of the projector tube and cooperating with said locker arm, a breech plug provided with screw threads, engaging the screw threads of the rearmost bore.'of the projector tube, and further provided 'with a.

projecting pin, adapted to press against the bottom or the firing block and with means for screwing and unscrewing said breech plug by hand.

' v nowams F. STEVENS.

1 .block leading from the. rearmost bore of tlie its slot 81. When the trigger 40 is now pressed 0 the release arm ll is disengaged from the locker r REFERENCE-s CITED m the firing pm slides forward under the. The following references are oi record in the tpfiessure oztltheripring lil andpierces and striges fil of 1 patent;

e cap e'cap now ignites the roc et charge. The propelling gases are exhausted UNITED STATES PATENTS through the ports 30 and channels It. Number I Name Date The projector as described is simple and efli- 1,681,172 Cocho fiug zl, 1928 cient and is safer-to operate than the rocket 1,994,295 Williams Mar. 12, 1935 projectors now inuse. 2,001,405 Abbott May .14, 1935 I claim: 2,042,934 Gill June 2, 1936 1. A rocket projector comprising a projector tube, provided with central cylindrical bores oi! m diflerent diameter communicating with each Number nt y Date other, one or said bores being or enlarged diam- 126,336 Great Britain May.15, 1919.

eter and forming the ignition chamber, rein- 'f e e 5, 9 6 

